HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mark Casse said he always thought Strategic Risk was a better horse than he had shown in the three starts following his impressive maiden win at Gulfstream Park late last spring. He was finally proven right on Saturday after the John Oxley homebred rallied to a decisive nine-length victory over the slow-starting The Town in the $300,000 In Reality division of the Florida Sire Series.
Strategic Risk was beaten double-digit lengths in both the Grade 3 Sanford and Grade 3 With Anticipation this summer at Saratoga following his 8 1/4-length maiden win here on June 7. Casse eventually brought Strategic Risk back to South Florida to finish third, nearly six lengths behind Khozalite, in the middle leg of the Sire Series, the seven-furlong Affirmed, as a stepping-stone to a career-best performance on Saturday.
“We thought early on he was a really good horse because I felt he was only 80 percent the day he broke his maiden,” said Casse, by phone after the race. “He just didn’t do great after I took him to New York so I brought him back to the farm, gave him a break, and felt he ran okay in the Affirmed. I told Mr. Oxley afterwards that he was a better horse than he showed that day and the way he was training I thought he deserved another chance in this race today.”
With Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano aboard for the first time, Strategic Risk settled in midpack for the opening half mile before saving ground and advancing to closer contention on the second turn. Castellano eased Strategic Risk outside to go after the pace setting Roger That Dana approaching the stretch, the pair readily drawing off and extending their advantage under pressure to the end.
The Town broke poorly and lagged far back for the opening six furlongs before finishing willingly down the middle of the track to be second best. The tiring Roger That Dana held on for third. Khozalite, the 6-5 favorite off his one-sided win in the Affirmed, raced well placed but came up empty when roused on the second turn, ultimately finished a disappointing and well-beaten fourth in the field of 10 2-year-old Florida-breds.
Strategic Risk paid $14.60 after completing the 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.85 seconds.
“Javier gave him a great trip,” Casse added. “I expected he’d run well but I didn’t know he would win the way he won. I trained his mom [Strategize] and his dad [Noble Bird]. His dad was a multiple Grade 1 winner and held the track record at Pimlico for 1 3/16 miles so there really is no reason this horse shouldn’t run all day. I’m not sure where he’ll run next. The only thing I can say for sure is that it will be around two turns.”
My Dear Girl
Mythical wrapped up an outstanding 2-year-old campaign with yet another one-sided victory, overcoming a grueling early pace to register a 2 1/2-length decision over Dare Greatly and four other totally over-matched rivals in the $300,000 My Dear Girl Stakes, the finale of the filly division of the Florida Sire Series.
The My Dear Girl was Mythical’s fifth one-sided win in six starts in 2025, her earlier victories coming by margins of 3 1/4 to 12 3/4 lengths. Her lone defeat on the season came in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga when she finished a tiring fifth after disputing a hotly contested early pace. In addition to the My Dear Girl, Mythical also captured the Grade 3 Adirondack and listed Tremont at Saratoga along with the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl, the middle leg of the Sire Series, by nearly 13 lengths here five weeks earlier.
The main question for Mythical entering the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl was her ability to stay the distance. She gave her connections some anxious moments after racing rankly and posting a lively 22.81 second opening quarter and 46.68 half-mile split while stalked from the outset by Love Like Lucy.
But with regular rider Emisael Jaramillo aboard, Mythical was able to finally settle down and get a little breather in the run down the backstretch. She readily disposed of Love Like Lucy before completing six furlongs, settling into the stretch with a comfortable advantage then remaining well clear of Dare Greatly despite tiring some from her early efforts down the lane.
Dare Greatly loomed boldly after advancing to within easy striking distance into the stretch but proved no match for the winner while much the best of the others, finishing 15 1/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Win Bet Only.
Mythical is a daughter of St. Patrick’s Day out of the Brethren mare Lailoni. She is trained by Jorge Delgado for her owner-breeder, Alan Cohen’s Arindel. She went postward a prohibitive 1-9 favorite, returning $2.20 to win after completing the distance over a fast track in 1:45.39.
“I didn’t want her to be in front. I knew she was the class of the race but I was a little anxious during the early stages when the other horse [Love Like Lucy] put some unnecessary pressure on her,” Delgado admitted. “I wish we had the outside post and she could have sat off the early lead, relaxed and come closing like she did in her previous race [Susan’s Girl] which I feel is the best race she’s run.”
Delgado said he would get together with the owners and decide whether to keep Mythical around two turns or shorten her up to sprint distances for her 3-year-old campaign.
“She didn’t have the best of trips today. But you don’t see too many horses go a 22 and change opening quarter and still be able to win going a distance,” said Delgado. “I think under the right circumstances she can go two turns, but for now we’ll just make sure she comes out of this race well then decide on where and at what distance to run her next.”
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